The Kisumu Journalists Network (KJN) has condemned attacks on journalists covering the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay County over the weekend, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
KJN chairman Rushdie Oudia said the attacks were unwarranted and must not be allowed to recur.
Speaking to reporters in Kisumu, Oudia said what began as a routine assignment quickly turned dangerous when journalists were confronted by groups of youths, forcing some to flee for safety.
Among those attacked while carrying out their professional duties were Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro, as well as journalists and crews from Standard Media Group, Nation Media Group, KBC Mayienga, Citizen TV and K24.
Oudia said Ooko and Ongoro were assaulted by armed youths in Homa Bay town ahead of the rally. Their press cards, driving licences and cameras were targeted, while Ongoro lost his phone and camera.
Ken Odiwuor of KBC Mayienga was attacked in Oyugis, Oudia said, while journalists from Standard Media Group, Nation Media Group and Citizen TV also faced attacks in Homa Bay.
A MediaMax vehicle was set on fire, forcing its crew to seek refuge at a police station, Oudia said. The crew lost a camera and two pieces of live transmission equipment.
He said the vehicle carrying Bramwel Bwire came under attack, with an assailant using a machete to try to tear open the journalist’s side window.
“It took the brilliance of the driver, Okul, to speed off to prevent a tragedy,” Oudia said.
KJN said the attacks amounted to an assault on the media and the public’s constitutional right to access information.
Oudia said journalists play a fundamental role in a democratic society, particularly during political and electoral periods, by covering political activities impartially, scrutinising candidates and giving voters access to competing views and verified information.
“Journalists must be allowed to perform this role without intimidation, harassment or violence,” he said.
Oudia cited Article 35 of Kenya’s Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right of access to information held by the state and information held by another person where that information is required for the exercise or protection of a fundamental right or freedom.
The constitutional, he said, guarantee cannot be realised when journalists are attacked, threatened or prevented from doing their work, he said.
“We are particularly alarmed by reports that political actors and their supporters mobilised and allegedly paid groups of youths to barricade roads, attack journalists and destroy vehicles and other property,” Oudia said.
KJN called on political leaders to take responsibility for the conduct of their supporters and stop mobilising young people to attack journalists, political opponents and other members of the public.
The group also urged the National Police Service and other investigative agencies to expedite investigations, identify and arrest those responsible and ensure they face the law.
Oudia said investigations should extend beyond those who carried out the physical attacks to include anyone who organised, financed, facilitated or incited the violence.
“The safety of journalists cannot be treated as an afterthought,” he said. “A journalist who is attacked while informing the public is an attack on the public itself,” he said.
KJN said it stood with journalists who were attacked or intimidated while covering the rally and urged media workers to remain vigilant as political activity intensifies.
“As we strive to document historic events and the atrocities meted out on the public, we should also be vigilant, have situational awareness and be safe,” Oudia said.
He reiterated the network’s guiding principle: “No story is worth your life. As a journalist, your life comes first,” Oudia said.
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